UniCredit analysts expect a yearly amount of some 5 bn euros to flow to Romania between 2007-2009 in direct investments, especially to the retail sector.

Italian investors are the strongest presence in Romania, with about 21,200 companies (most of them small-sized businesses). In 2006, there were also over 14,000 companies with German participation in Romania. Targeting this client category, UniCredit and HVB Tiriac set at the disposition of the companies planning to invest in Romania dedicated services offered through the “Italian Desk” and “German Desk” specialized offices.

UniCredit and HVB Tiriac have so far almost 3,400 Italian companies in their clients’ portfolio, whereas the “German Desk” services about 256 clients, to their majority multinational companies. The bank will also launch this year a desk dedicated to Turkish investors, as the future entity resulted from the UniCredit - HVB Tiriac merger will also count almost 600 companies with Turkish capital among its clients.

UniCredit’s International Desk Romania division also includes an office dedicated to Spanish companies that operate in Romania. UniCredit’s strategy for this year will lay more stress on products and services offered to companies and groups of companies that operate in at least two different states on key-markets where the bank and its subsidiaries are also present, like Italy, Germany, Austria, as well as Central and East-European countries.